5 questions for... Holger Zilske

Holger Zilske is not just another german producer. He has been making music as half of Smash TV for a long time, and decided in 2006 that it was time to make it on his own, under his real name. Constantly touring and producing, you could say that Holger is quite the music lover.

Q - You've been a long-time BPitch man when releasing your Smash TV project. Under your real name, you just released an album (Holz) on Playhouse. Why the label switch ?

HZ - I started to release records under my real name in 2006 with my first release on Playhouse. The music was different from my Smash TV project at that time. I wanted something deeper, and I wanted to work without self seeded boundaries. So I decided to use my name for it, and to work with labels I respect most. Since then I have released five 12" on Playhouse plus my album, one 12" on Leena (a Mobilee sublabel), one on Dialect / Battle, one on Factor City, a couple of remixes, and there is more coming. I also did something on Mood Music with Dave DK and Richard Davis. I also remixed Kiki's “Immortal” and "Big & Round" from Claude Von Stroke’s new album.

Q - You have played in Montreal numerous times already. Any particular feature of the city you really like ?

HZ - I think I was in Montreal five times so far, and it really is a beautiful city. Because I always stayed over a couple of times, I made some friends that I meet when I'm there. So I feel really at home in Montreal. Besides, it's one of the best cities in Canada in which to party. I really hope to come back soon.



Q - Are "your eyes" really something special ?

HZ - Haha… OK, I think you had the track “Mes Yeux” from my album in your head when you wrote that. In fact the voice and the text are from DJ Mini. I'm sure most readers know her. She's from Montreal, and a former resident of the Overdose weekly at Parking. But besides this, of course, my eyes are really something special!

Q - Who would you say is your bigger inspiration right now ?

HZ - I don't really have one particular artist that I take my inpiration from. I try to find my own way, and I try to find my inpiration in other things than in another artist. It can be a city, the radio, a sound experiment in the studio, a dream, a movie or whatever. And that's how my music is. I didn't try to make just a club album. I wanted to have a concept, a red line in the album, but music that is versatile. Something you can listen to at home, and that still works at the prime time of a club set. The challenge was to put these two different things in one album, and to create something that sounds like it belongs together. I'm still very happy with my work.



Q - Your top 5 tracks of the moment ?


1. Soulphiction – A Short History Of… - Philpot
2. Soundstream – Life Goes On – Soundstream
3. Lauhaus – Latenight – Intacto
4. Holger Zilske – Pleasure – BPitch
5. Kenny Leaven – Odyssey (dOP remix) – Elenore Records